adage

noun

ad·​age ˈa-dij 

: a saying often in metaphorical form that typically embodies a common observation

She reminded him of the adage: "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Synonyms

• aphorism
• apothegm
• byword
• epigram
• maxim
• proverb
• saw
• saying
• sententia
• word

Examples of adage in a Sentence

that old adage, “the early bird gets the worm”

Recent Examples on the Web

The old adage says there’s no place like home for the holidays, but the truth is not everyone likes to entertain. —Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024

Every industry relies on seasoned pros to pick up the slack — like the adage that 20 percent of workers do 80 percent of the work. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024

The old adage about a leopard never changing its spots doesn’t appear to apply to Alyssa Farah Griffin. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2024

No matter how careful your calculations, your turkey will inevitably compete with a roomful of side dishes, too many too-tasty appetizers, and some adage about saving room for dessert. —Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Latin adagiō, adagium, from ad- ad- + ag-, base of aiō, āiō "(I) say" (going back to *ag-i̯ō, going back to an Indo-European verb stem *h₂eǵ-i̯e- "say") + -ium, deverbal noun suffix; akin to Greek ê "(s/he) spoke," án-ōga "(I) command," Armenian asem "(I) say," Tocharian B āks- "announce, proclaim"

Note: The Latin form is possibly adāgiō; the lack of vowel reduction in the second syllable is otherwise unexplained. Michiel de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin (Brill, 2008), believes that the base is not aiō, but rather adigō, "I drive/thrust/plunge into, force, impel." Semantically, this is not compelling, and does not in any case solve the problem of the second syllable. On the other hand, the lack of attestation for aiō with any prefixes aside from this noun is striking.

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

adage

noun

ad·​age ˈad-ij 

: an old familiar saying : proverb